The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-13
Complaints of Local Shippers Regard
ing the Interstate-Commerce Law.
It Makes Worse the Evil that 1t Was In.
tended to Remedy, and Seriously Inter-
feres with the Shipping Trade.
Local Rates that Place Indianapolis
Manufacturers at a Disadvantage.
FIGURING Mills Forced to Reduce Their Oper-
atoms Over One Half-Grain and Other
Dealers Suffer from Discrimination.


mercial regulations. as expressed in the law tina
went into effect the 9TH of this month, is no
altogether friendly. There is no dispo ,iton t
condemn it as a whole, but the opinion prevail
that, in a measure. it causes what the Law wa
designed to prevent Some who have studied i
and its present and possible effect. go far a
to say that there must be radical amendments be
fore it can be administered Justly to all parts o
the country. Most of the opposition is '.entere
on the paragraph that seeks to adjust J. ,ng and
short-haul differences. Particularly around tn
Board of Trade can be heard critici SIN tina
means an aggressive purpose to seek rel eff eithe
by carrying the grievances direct
the commissioners or by :lgitatin
the question SO energetically that 'Coneres
will be asked to modify this section is,peal tn
law altogether. What will be done depend
upon the meeting to be held at the Board
Trade rooms tomorrow, when conn nittee al
pointed yesterday will make report on tn
effects of the law. thus far. on Indianapolis trad
and commerce. This committee, viii CHI is CON
posed OF W. F. Piel. jr., Charles E. Hall, S.
Robinson. NJ A Woolen, A. c. Pink ham, J.
Evans, C. c. Foster, Henry Coburil. John N
Shaw, N. S. Byram W. A. Krag. r. F. Pratt
A H. Nordyke, Henry Frank, Otto Stechhar
w. J. Hasselman. F. E. Chandler, w. ii. Baker
E. B. Martindale and Arthur Jordan. meet t.
day at 10 o'clock, to consider the qu estion, an
the results will be submitted to the board at
o'clock tomorrow forenoon. To this meetin
all citizens are invited.
THE clause Of the bill against discriminate
is all right" said the secretary of the board
John G. Blake, yesterday. 1.-THE spirit of whole
sailing among transportation lines is, ali wrong
but we object strenuously to Anything tha
leads indirectly to discrimination against Indiar
apolis."
How far this discrimination will extend it
not easy to say, but it is now sing seriou
trouble among the grain men, mill ers and luul
Der men. Mr.. Pie, of the starch orks. though
at first his business would get some benefit frol
the law, but he now secs what 9th err manufac
urers who depend upon large SUPP lies of corr
see. that it will have the opposite fleet In tn
particular the discrimination occurs in the add
ing OF the rate from Indian apolus to the Eas
to elocal rate necessary to hrngit here. Itws
illustrated by w. A Woollen. who said that tn
through rate from St Louis to t'i,e seaboard
from = to per cent. lower than the aggrega
cost would be to send the grain from this cit,
An indianapolis buyer takes ,n:e, lot of graf
and pays the local rate to get it the city, ar
then to realize on it he must send. it East at tn
through rate from Indianapolis 10 New Yor
But there is discrimination nearer HON
From MonteZuma, on the Indians polls Decatl
Springfield. the local on era' is now mir
cents per hundred, when it fori nerly was on
four. The rate to Cincinnati rom the san
point is six cents. A Cincinnati buyer can
secure it. for the Indianapolis man will b
hampered by the excess of frei, ;ht. The RAJ
from points west of Danville is twenty-seve
cents per hundred, to New York. Indanapol
can get this Illinois product to her doors, ar
then ship to the seaboard under thirty cents
'The points against this clause o,f the law, in i
discrimination against Indai lapolis, are
many" said Mr.. Woolen, 18th; It / could gil
enough TO fill column. There is not shpp
In the city who objects to be pfa .ed on the san
footing with shippers elsewhe; e: but they
protest against this indirect discriminate
Again, the suspension of the la, 2 in favor of &c
tain Southern roads gives Sor thern grain a,
other products an advantage They can r,a
Cincinnati at a much lower ratt than we have
pay to got grain at our very doors, and thu
send it East ST. Louis, yeai or two ago. VIII
there was a drought west of the Mississippi
bought grain of US. Now she can get it at d
points where we buy by bid ding over u.s. al
then ship to the seaboard three cents under III
Charles E. Hall. of the homi' " mills, said tn
what the millers wanted was II buy grain of I
dealers. The latter can get orn. for instant
from the points of production cheaper than t
miller can, for they buy three or four grade
when the miller, perhaps, woi lid want only t
best farmer had. II he got it he would ha
to pay an extra premium. If he sells only
part of his corn. and that thu best, the farm
will ask higher rate to enab him to hold t
remainder without loss. Mir Halls firm h
orders out for which CT mot be filled, |
cause the Eastern buyers can pay more and st
for less shan can the Indianap oils dealers.
The millers all view the sit patton with alar
II think" said Mr. D. A. { richardson. of t
firm OF Richardson e Evans. to a Journal
porter, that the present syl stem of operati
will prove hurtful to Indiar apolis The 10,
rates place US at great dis advantage AS
illustration Of the discrimina ton against US.
instance of how are placed at disadvanta
in getting our supply of gra' in will give r
idea OF what we have to york against. Z
local rate we compelled to nav for grs
shipped to us from Lebanon on the Big Fo
road Is five cents per hundred After we mar
facture flour from the grain we paw six Gel
for shipping it from this city to Cincinnati. m,
ing the total cost of freight n it from Leban
to Cincinnati eleven cents. If the grain
shipped direct from Lebanon to Cincinnati on
the same road, the freight rate is only eis
cents; so that the Cincinnati millers are Civ
an advantage of three cents over Indlanapc
shippers. On the long haul our rate is sal
factory, but that is of no bei ,efit where we
placed at such great disad vantage compet
with the West in getting our supply of grain
What effect has the ne system had ur
the operations of local miller 81"
''Since the law has been in effect every m
ing company in the city has reduced its ope
tions and altogether they are not running
more than one-third of the IT capacity Bef
tie law went into effect all rere running to
extent of their full capacity. :"
AT this season of the yet tr the local grain
ceipts ought to be SEVENTH we or 100 cars dn
On Monday only three cars of wheat and twt
corn came in, while vest erdav receipts w
thirteen cars of corn and br it one of wheat #
is attributed to the cause explained to VIII
George z. Townley. of Fra Rush & Co. adj
further evioence. Tho 'oads," he said. -
making aroltratv rates, W hich operate agai
Indianapolis. III IL contini ues we might "
give up, Tor our grain trad will be destroy
The l., B. & W. local to tn is CITY is cents
from here to New York is % cents That ma
30 cents we have to paw 70 get the corn r,
That road is billing at 81 cents from all moi
along its line to New Yo rk, a difference O
cents per hundred again st US Nobody
stand that pressure, since it enables outside b
ers to go to the producing points and outbid
considerably. Grain from Dana. on the L ID
s., to indianapolis, costs 9e .ents the rate to
cinnati from this point is cents, but the roa
billing to that city for Il c. ,nts. Here again
cents against But tn Ike the rate 10 Gle
land by the |. 81 St L. ~ rom Nokomis. graf
tent by this route TO that city for - cents
hundred, or 81 cents per h undred miles To
corn and wheat here from Nokomis costs IL
> cents per hundred, or 5 81 5 cents per hund
miles. From Nation to c ,incinnati is $40 mi
TO indianapolis it is only % miles, hut 10 ca
hundred weight of graf to the first-nar
costs II cents, while we will have to pa,
cents. the cost per humid ed miles being 3
10 Cincinnati. and 6 80 10 Indianapolis,
shorter distance. That " ill not do. you
Under the law. the nearer the producing po